textproduct: Quad Cities

KEY MESSAGES

- Active weather is expected at the beginning of the forecast period and again mid to late next week.

- Some accumulating snow is possible late tonight through Saturday, with a 20-50% chance of 1"+ over most of the area, highest probabilities well northeast of the Quad Cities. - There is weak signal for snow squalls on Saturday with the cold front during the afternoon and evening.

SHORT TERM /THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/

Issued at 130 PM CST Fri Jan 9 2026

GOES WV imagery showed a longwave trough axis across the eastern Rockies into the High Plains and two distinct areas of cyclonic circulation -- one associated with a compact shortwave across southeast Colorado and the Oklahoma Panhandle and the other showing more broad rotation with an upper low over southern Manitoba. These two mid/upper level features are forecast to phase later tonight into Saturday as they approach the western Great Lakes region, with an elongated surface trough congealing into a more typical area of low pressure over Lower Michigan. Moisture pulled northward into the deep upper low (PWATs near 0.50") combined with ascent tied to PVA and 700mb WAA/Fgen will result in a period of steady precipitation especially in the counties along/east of the Mississippi River.

The precipitation may initially start as a rain/snow mix due to near surface temperatures in the mid/upper 30s, before changing to all snow late tonight into early Saturday morning from west to east. QPF amounts between 0.05 - 0.15"+ with a west to east gradient across the outlook area are supportive of wet snowfall accumulations between a half inch to ~1.5", highest east and northeast of the Quad Cities. Generally expecting a wet snow with surface temperatures in the lower to mid 30s, which should limit overall travel impacts especially for any treated roadways. With that said, visibility reductions to a mile or lower are possible in the steadiest bands of snow between 4 - 10 AM. Additionally, snow showers are possible Saturday afternoon and evening which could result in a dusting to half inch of accumulation on an isolated basis. With steep low-level lapse rates leading to some low-level instability, some of the snow showers could be briefly moderate to heavy. Much colder temperatures are expected compared to what we've had lately for Saturday night with lows in the upper teens to lower 20s, causing any residual moisture to freeze up. Gusty NW winds between 20-30+ mph will create wind chills in the single digits above zero late Sat. night into early Sunday morning.

LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/

Issued at 130 PM CST Fri Jan 9 2026

Highs Sunday should warm only to the upper 20s to lower 30s (actually seasonal for this time of the year!). After this, a drier and moderating pattern develops to start the week. Eventually, strong ridging builds across the western CONUS leading to the clipper track focusing on our area late in the period. NBM temperatures drop back down closer to normal for mid to late next week.

AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SATURDAY/

Issued at 1145 AM CST Fri Jan 9 2026

A weak system may bring some light precipitation to the area late tonight into Saturday morning. Surface temperatures near to slightly above freezing could support a mix of rain and snow initially before changing to all snow. Expect an increase in low cloud cover late tonight with a period of MVFR/IFR into Saturday AM. Confidence remains low on the coverage of precip so have mentioned potential in PROB30s for now.

DVN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

IA...None. IL...None. MO...None.